Broken Reality
by The Laughing Fool
Summary: Everyone has a breaking point. Sasuke finds his in a future he never wanted and a reality he cannot face alone. So he won't. Time travel and I suppose mild AU, if we're getting picky.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Everyone has a breaking point. Sasuke finds his in a future he never wanted and a reality he cannot face alone. So he won't. Time travel and I suppose mild AU, if we're getting picky.

**Note: **Man, I dig time-travel and here's my hand at it in the Naru-verse. Over done? Maybe so. I don't really care.

**Another Note: **This is actually/factually not _really _a SasuNaru- _persay..._I do believe it is in _spirit_-

**Warnings**: Fighting and somewhat macabre imaging, cursing and the like.

**Disclaimers:** Not mine. (Le Naruto, I mean)

So, let's get on with it!

* * *

**A Broken Reality**

"Death is not the greatest of evils; it is worse to want to die, and not be able to"

-Sophocles

Naruto clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, starring down at his feet. Tears welled up in his clear blue eyes. Sasuke stood a distance away, his face that irritating, condescending, _infuriating_ blank.

"Don't you get it, you arrogant fuck?" Naruto couldn't help the tremble in his tone as he jerked his head up to gaze hatefully at the one he once called his friend, "There's NOTHING LEFT." Chakra sizzled, static in the air, "Everyone is dead. All of the people we cared about are dead."

Naruto stood, cold and furious and Sasuke didn't flinch. This is what he wanted. Fighting Naruto was the most exhilarating and terrifying thing Sasuke could do. Everything was so fucked up; he had never meant for this to happen. Sasuke wanted to feel something other than his own hate. He _needed_ to fight _now_.

_Terrify me, Naruto-_

"That…" Sasuke's voice dripped with a malice as red as his eyes, "must feel awful-"

Naruto was in front of Sasuke in an instant, his hand squeezing Sasuke's throat painfully tight. "How can you say that like it's a joke?" he hissed, power radiated from him.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, he felt it- the pain-that _disgusting_ fear. Naruto threatened to snap his neck, the fingernails digging into his neck were slowly turning into claws and in enough time Naruto would crack and kill him. It was perfect. Sasuke brought a hand slowly to Naruto's iron grip. Naruto was waiting for an answer.

"_How_?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped into focus and his sharingan spun dangerously, "Because it's so _funny_."

He twisted Naruto's hand off of him and side kicked him to the ground a distance away.

_We'll start this, Naruto. We'll start it and then we'll finally finish it._

Naruto laid there on his side; never before had he wanted kill anyone so badly. It was true that Madara was the one who led the invasion of Konoha but Sasuke enabled it. He was the reason the plan succeeded-and the fact he was laughing about it…Naruto would kill him.

Sasuke twitched in irritation. He was just lying there, _Come on, damnit, come on._

"Do you want to _kill me_, Naruto?" Sasuke made the tone as mocking as he could. "Do you want to _avenge_ all the people you've lost?" Naruto could hear him get closer with slow, measured steps; his katana's tip just barely grazing the edged of the ground as he walked. "And you want me to explain why I think this is funny," Sasuke sneered, "you really are more of an idiot than I give you credit for."

Sasuke stared at Naruto's unmoving form and he was so full of hate; for himself and Naruto. For Orochimaru and Itachi and Kakashi and Madara and everyone who let this happen. All of this pain and death.

'_There's NOTHING LEFT'_

And Naruto. He was so _stupid _and Sasuke blamed him as much as he blamed himself. Naruto: the moron-idealist who started with nothing but gained it all. His life had done nothing but get better and better while Sasuke's had only gotten worse. The jealousy and the bitterness mingled on his tongue like ash.

Naruto slowly got up, his back facing Sasuke. They wanted to break each other. This was a perfect arrangement.

Naruto was rigid; the Kyuubi slowly enhanced his features, making Naruto look as inhuman as he felt.

"They're all _dead_," he repeated slowly through his fangs.

_Almost there. _

Sasuke stared at Naruto, his red eyes bleeding tears he no longer felt.

"...And what are you going to do about it, dobe?"

_Come on_

They both already knew.

* * *

The punches were bone-breaking and the jutsus were aimed to kill. They were going to kill each other and they both couldn't care less. Their own lives didn't matter any longer, what mattered is that the other was dead at the end.

Sasuke hated Naruto so much; his best and only friend. What perfect irony to be killed by the only person he cared about anymore-

Is it really 'caring' when you're slicing your katana through their Achilles's tendon?

Sasuke wasn't sure anymore. He hurt all over, so much hate it hurt. Not that that was anything unusual...

_ …Then was all of that a dream?_

He hated himself so much, he had since he was a kid. The things he'd done; there used to be a point to this violence. It wasn't supposed to be this way-

_ …No. It wasn't a dream. But then what was it?_

_Crack._

Sasuke sat on the swing overlooking the lake. His short legs hung limply from the seat, his feet barely brushing the grass. He was seven years old.

Again.

_Again? When was there a before?_

He looked at his short arms and his bare knees, expecting to see the slices and bruises and bones peeking from beneath the battered and calloused skin but...there was nothing. He was a seven year old child- and he knew that. But why did he feel like all of those things were real?

_They are real._

But that wasn't possible. None of what Sasuke had seen or felt for the last hour was possible. He was just sitting there and then these things, these facts took him by complete surprise. His body had stilled and he gripped the ropes tightly as a torrent of images and feelings imploded inside of his mind.

It hurt. And it scared him once the shock wore down.

He knew things and he saw things. Sasuke saw another him and another _Naruto_, of all people. They were older; teenagers and very powerful- frightening, even. Things were strange and they were best friends? When did that happen? He barely talked to the moron!

And some of the weirdest stuff.

Sasuke suddenly knew where Oto was and that it got very cold there in winter. He knew that tomatoes in Cloud Country were the best in the East. He knew that most snakes had six rows of teeth and that all of them were poisonous- and that they hurt.

_But how do I know that?_

Names like Kakashi, Tsunade, Orochimaru, they meant something suddenly. He knew them and they knew him. He saw their faces. He remembered them and then he shuddered.

Oh God, they were all dead. Blood and bodies scattering places he'd never been to, but seemingly so familiar. The massacre of his second family slaughtered throughout a burning Konoha. Everything utterly ruined. Left to decay because there was no one left to even try and rebuild.

_And it's because of me?_

But that didn't make any sense, he didn't _do _anything.

It was because of him that Konoha was destroyed, his quest for a pointless vengeance. The 'memories', they were unimaginably raw. The anger he remembered feeling…was chilling. The crushing sadness and regret- if only he could have done things another way-

But he didn't _do _ anything!

He started shaking and he felt sick. Those things were factual. He wasn't sure how, but Sasuke knew it.

_Is _this_ a dream then? No._

_But that doesn't make any sense. Both can't be real. I didn't kill all of those people- I only want to kill Itachi. _

But he's innocent.

What?

More information. More facts. His brother threatening Danzo, demanding he let Sasuke live. His father giving Itachi orders to initiate the coup. He knew his brother hated it, he knew that the council made him betray his family to avoid another great war- the greater good-

It was ridiculous. The implications…it didn't make any sense. It felt like he was waking up, memories attacking his mind; scattered and half-way explained. Things left unsaid and in pieces on the floor. Unapologetically _true. _

Was he crazy? He had to be.

Itachi had killed their clan only three days ago and the ever-knowing 'they' kept saying that the Uchiha would snap-if he hadn't already. No one had seen him since he fled the hospital to 'be alone'. But…Itachi was…he didn't want to even think it.

Innocent? No, not innocent. He still killed everyone- that didn't change the fact that he was a murderer! He murdered their parents! Their entire clan! He ruined everything he-

he...

Things were more complicated than he once thought. No, Itachi wasn't free from guilt but he very much still cared for Sasuke. Sasuke was the only one he wouldn't kill. Konoha had...but Itachi was the one who...why did Sasuke still love his brother after all of the things he had done? Why was this so confusing? Why did Itachi still love him?

It would have been so much easier that way. To understand. To know how to react.

Everything.

_It was all a lie._

Sasuke didn't notice the tears slide down his cheeks. He didn't feel his nails dig into his palms or the cool breeze that shifted his hair because everything he knew for the last four days had been a lie. All of the horrible things he had felt for his brother and the desires he had to kill him were sickening. Itachi had killed everyone but in the end he still loved Sasuke. How could he hate his brother if he still loved him? He wanted to deny it but he just sat there in silence. Sasuke felt helpless because in his bones he couldn't deny what he now knew.

He wanted to vomit.

He almost did.

_I wanted to kill him_, he thought wretchedly_,_ suppressing a gag. _ I wanted him dead, I imagined him dead and he protected me? I don't understand-_

_LIAR!_

But it was true. He knew that, damnit, he knew it. Sasuke was frozen in his seat and didn't dare move-

_Sasuke didn't dare breathe-_

He gazed across the lake-

_Naruto's eyes looked so blank, it didn't fit him, it was frightening to see-_

Fact:

* * *

Sasuke spun to avoid the rasengan, bringing his katana up in an arcing slice aimed straight for Naruto's face-

_Kill me-_

They split apart and Sasuke electrified his katana with the light of his chidori, Naruto crossed two kunai in front of him and ran at Sasuke with unimaginable speed.

_Erase me- this mistake-_

Sasuke ran to meet him, he was ready. Sasuke saw Naruto glow with the Kyuubi's red chakra. He felt the murderous intent and saw the demon in Naruto's eyes.

_DO IT, NARUTO!-_

Naruto made a decision. He threw open his arms, exposing his torso at the very last moment. Before Sasuke realized it had happened, his face was an inch from Naruto's and his Katana was buried to the hilt through Naruto's ribs.

The moment froze.

Sasuke's eyes went wide and he yanked the sword out of his best friend on impulse, causing Naruto to fall back, landing hard on the ground. He wheezed lying on his back, his own blood slowly pooling around him.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke and didn't speak. So much had happened; words weren't enough. Words were never enough for them. What mattered was action and he…they both...

_Wait, what just happened?_

Naruto stared into Sasuke's eyes as they bled to black. He was shocked with disbelief and Naruto grimaced in what could have been a smile.

_Sasuke_.

Sasuke didn't dare breathe, his panic so entirely clear on his face.

So he really did care. _What an annoying bastard._..

Blood seeped from the corners of Naruto's mouth and made a trail down the whisker-marks on his cheeks. Naruto's gaze lost focus as he looked past Sasuke to the sky. He could see past the dark clouds and he knew that really the sky was so impossibly blue. It made him happy.

Naruto coughed one last time.

He missed how things were.

_Oh, what we could have been._

And then he died.

There

Was

A

Moment.

…_What just happened?_ Sasuke felt the question blow over him like a shallow breeze. Everything was so still and the quiet was so _loud_ in his ears-

And reality lurched to life. Lines and colors sharpened, everything was in focus- impossible to deny.

Everyone has a breaking point.

This was Sasuke's.

"No..." Sasuke slowly shook his head, "No, don't you get it?" He said loudly, his voice breaking at the end, "You were supposed to kill _me_!"

The panic, the panic seized his throat and tried choke him. He stared, wide-eyed, at Naruto's limp form, and then his still, blue eyes.

"How could you have died!" Sasuke screamed, "Get up!"

Sasuke stabbed him roughly with his katana through the shoulder. He twisted the blade in deeper, _React, Damnit! Get up! - _but Naruto's body didn't flinch and his face didn't twist in pain. Sasuke's face froze in horror and quickly jerked the blade from Naruto's body. He looked at the blood dripping from his sword, the blood seeping from Naruto's unmoving body, the blood that stained his hands and spattered his face.

Blood

_Blood …_

Blood everywhere. A real mess.

His grasp loosened and the katana clattered to the ground as Sasuke dropped to his knees. He didn't feel the pain of his broken bones and fractures and cuts. Pain was what he had wanted, he didn't want this. He had never wanted _this, _no matter what he had said-

Sasuke shot his hands out and grabbed Naruto's shoulders, the blond head fell back limp.

"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered in a shaky breath. Everything was so fucked up. Naruto was all he had, all he ever really had, and this was so fucked up. He let out a panicked, frustrated cry as he used one arm to prop up Naruto and support his lolling head and used the other hand to quickly push back Naruto's hair from his face. Sasuke's sharingan spun to life and he gritted his teeth, forcing his bloodline and his chakra to take him exactly where he wanted to go.

Naruto's mind.

* * *

He held onto the swing ropes so tightly his knuckles were white.

Sasuke trans-fixedly stared down at his shoes. His eyes were wide and glowing red with the sharingan, the sweat dripped from his forehead hitting his bare knees.

_What the hell-_

His breath hitched, and as he slowly bowed his head closer to his knees he fell forward off the swing and onto his side. He remained there unmoving and tense. His joints were rigidly set and his eyes were open so wide they were screaming. His heart pounded so violently it sent tremors down his spine.

He wanted everything to stop. Sasuke silently begged whatever it was to leave him alone. He didn't want to know these horrible things anymore. He didn't know what any of it meant, he just wanted to forget it.

_Naruto…I kill Naruto? My only friend? I kill my only friend?_

He was the monster he thought Itachi had been.

Sasuke brought his hands up to his head and intertwined his fingers into his hair. He twisted it and clenched his hands painfully, gritting his teeth.

_Stop it stop it- please, please just stop it! I don't want to know!_

"I don't want to know!" he shouted hoarsely into his knees, clenching his eyes shut as tightly as he could. A weak growl escaped his throat. " I don't want to know…"

* * *

In a blink their battle field was gone and so was Naruto. Sasuke was left kneeling in in the depths of Naruto's mind, his knees submerged in dark liquid.

The place was falling apart. Cracks snaked throughout the walls and the dark, bubbling liquid was hot and steaming all around him. Sasuke saw chunks fall and splash loudly into the smoking water from the ceiling so tall you couldn't see it.

Everything was quickly deteriorating and Sasuke stayed there on his knees and glances around, trying to see through the billowing steam and past the crumbling scenery.

This couldn't be the end of it. Sasuke didn't want Naruto to be gone; the world needed Naruto. He was going to be Hokage, everyone knew it, there was no way he could die, there was so much for him to do still. He had to live, Sasuke had to find him-

"Naruto?" he called out; the sound echoed and Sasuke felt an odd pang of loneliness he thought he'd outlived. He got up quickly and staggered a bit before yelling again, "Naruto!"

Sasuke heard a dark, humorless chuckling come from behind him.

"Naruto?" Sasuke wheeled around and forced his feet to move him forward. The steam cleared in his view and he came face to face with the gate.

And the Kyuubi inside of it.

Sasuke was a bit startled to see that the demon, what Sasuke could see of him, was crumbling and steaming too; the gate was as solid and pristine as ever.

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked urgently, "Is Naruto here?"

"What a stupid question," the Kyuubi's voice rumbled like thunder and cracked like lightning as more of his face fell to the dark water. "That wretched human is gone-"

"Fix this," Sasuke didn't care how desperate he sounded, "you're a demon, your powers are limitless-"

"Obviously they _are_," he snarled viciously.

"Fix this!" Sasuke demanded with as much authority as he could. He willed his sharingan to force the Kyuubi to obey him, like Madara could, but the fox only laughed.

"Oh, the gall of you Uchihas," he said darkly, "I'm glad you're all dead."

"Naruto," he said weakly to himself, he had thought that he'd find him here, even though he knew it made no sense. Sasuke felt his posture crack and tumble like the walls around him.

"Oh, poor little Uchiha," the beast leered with a steaming smile, "doesn't know what he wants. I _thought_ you wanted to be dead. The brat may not have noticed, but _I _did-"

"I didn't mean to kill Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, he wasn't speaking to the Kyuubi, he was telling himself. "I didn't want this! Heal him!" he commanded, "why aren't you healing him!"

"I CAN'T." The Kyuubi growled and Sasuke felt the hair on his arms sizzle off, "He _sealed_ my _chakra_."

Sasuke looked over to the paper seal keeping the gates closed. He saw that scrawled over the top of it was another seal done in thick blood. Sasuke stared.

"Such cute parting words too," said the beast, clearly angry, "Ha, ' good riddance', indeed. Insufferable humans!" he screeched, "All of you! What a horrid way to die! Trapped in the body of such a weakling- pathetic! Curse all of you!"

Sasuke continued to look at the seal. Naruto's blood. He looked to his hands. Naruto's blood.

"There isn't much time left at all. Leave me, human, so I can end in peace-"

Sasuke's eyes were open wide and he walked slowly to the gate's doors.

"Oh oh Uchiha, so prideful and stupid and arrogant to the end." The demon's sneering mouth fell to the ground with a splash. "Ignorant and clingy fool," spoke the mouth from the floor, "by all means stay here and die- I'd like that very much-"

"There has to be a way…" Sasuke said slowly. He brought his had to the seal and it burned his skin but he didn't pull away.

_There has to be a way._

"You're such an annoyance!" the Kyuubi groaned.

Sasuke stared at his hand and he felt the skin begin to peel.

_No. Things weren't supposed to be this way…_

_And they wouldn't._

Sasuke snapped out of his haze and wiped away the blood seal with a hiss.

"What are you doing, human?"

"Give me your chakra," Sasuke said lowly into the demon's eyes, "you don't want to die, do you?"

They Kyuubi eyed him with incredulous humor.

"What do you think you're going to do with it?"

"Madara's teleporting jutsu," Sasuke explained quickly, "it bends reality. Give me your chakra and we can bend it back! We could go back-"

The fox let out such a loud and insidious laugh, more pieces of scenery cracked and revealed a white nothingness behind it. There wasn't much time left.

"You really believe such a thing!" he crowed, "You're a little fool-"

"It doesn't really matter," Sasuke said, "if it doesn't we'll both just die. If it works maybe we'll both go back. It might work- it could"

Sasuke was frantic in his thoughts. It _could _work, right? It didn't seem very plausible, but it could work- if there was enough power behind the technique.

The Kyuubi stilled and looked up in thought, " I suppose…" he said slowly, "there's really nothing left to lose."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and concentrated everything within him into his eyes. Madara's technique didn't require hand seals but it took every ounce of control that the person had. It took incredible will and strength to bend something so unbendable as reality.

The Kyuubi channeled tendrils of energy from his cracked form and sent it into the Uchiha. Sasuke felt the Kyuubi's chakra collide with his own and he thought of Naruto.

He could feel the chakra rushing through him and he forced all of it into his sharingan, his eyes were strained and opened wide and cast down to the dry floor, chipping away around his feet into the white oblivion.

Everything was falling away and Sasuke couldn't afford to lose concentration with all of the chakra in his body. He thought his eyes would burst with all of the pressure and the strain; the sweat dripped down his neck and sizzled off his body.

His vision blurred and he felt the continuous flow of the Kyuubi's chakra stop, "that's all I have left," said the smoking vesper that used to be the feared, demon fox, "If this works…" he said darkly, " I'm going to kill you."

The smoke vanished and Sasuke shook with contained power. This was it.

The sharingan spun faster and faster and with it, Sasuke's vision spun too. What little there was left of Naruto's inner world distorted at the speed of Sasuke's eyes. He felt a panicked constricting force on his heart.

_Take me to him- bring him back. Do it…_

He felt every last drop of chakra leak into his eyes as they went completely blind.

_NOW_

A startling, painful snap and then reality broke itself.

* * *

Sasuke dragged himself up from the grass and sat there with his chin rested on his knees. He needed to calm down, he just needed to relax.

But he couldn't.

_I want to leave, I need to leave here- right now- I'm going to go and never come back and I will never have to think about these things again-_

"Uh, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's blood ran cold. He looked up and there was Naruto in his dirty torn shirt and too big shorts. Hand-me-downs from the trash.

_What is he doing here?_

Sasuke quickly noted that his face was tear-stained and contorted in a look that screamed fear and he quickly brought his sleeve to wipe his eyes in a jerky motion. Naruto seemed as uncomfortable as Sasuke felt and shifted awkwardly on his feet.

Sasuke could subdue the initial shakes he got from seeing Naruto.

Sasuke tried to reason: This was _Naruto_. He was young and stupid and annoying- he was nothing like that red-eyed demon Sasuke remembered from his _truth_.

_But he would be. He could be._

_Is he?_

His eyes widened in horror before he could stop himself. Everything he saw, everything he felt was going to happen again- he would kill Naruto. He was going to kill the person in front of him.

He would kill his only friend.

Sasuke choked.

"Uh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head and cast his eyes to the ground. He looked into Sasuke's frightened eyes and said bluntly, "I'm sorry your brother killed your family."

_I'm sorry I killed you._

At any other time Sasuke would have told him to scram or he would have left to be alone but he let the silence stretch as he looked into those beautiful, beautiful utterly _alive _eyes.

"Me too…"

This was all so messed up

There was another awkward pause. Naruto offered him another awkward smile.

_I want to leave_

Sasuke couldn't escape the urge to flee.

_I can't stay here anymore- I need to leave-_

And idea hit him; Sasuke knew precisely what to do.

_I'm going to leave_

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice was small and low, he looked straight into Naruto's eyes, "Come with me."

Naruto gave Sasuke a puzzled look and glanced around for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"This place, Konoha," he said slowly, gaining more momentum with each sentence, becoming more assured with every word, " why are we even here? What's keeping us here anymore?"

Naruto looked at him, confusion plain in his eyes, "I don't get it," he said, "what are you talking about?"

"My family is dead," said Sasuke. "You don't have one. I am sick of their pity and I want to leave." It was true, but not the reason.

"These people are nothing but cruel to you," he continued. "You want to be Hokage to have their respect but why do you even _want_ their respect? They don't deserve you-"

Naruto stepped back and stared at Sasuke with an abashed look on his face, "H-how did you know that?"

_I don't._

"It's written all over your face..." Naruto was staring adamantly at him now, his eyes wide and somewhat vulnerable. They were both children and Sasuke found that fact as odd with all he'd seen.

He needed Naruto to understand that the villagers didn't care about them- he needed to make him understand that this village could be nothing to them, as they were nothing to it. Sasuke needed Naruto to be with him until he could understand why he had killed him; so he could protect him.

_I'll never kill you. I promise._

Convincing a child as lonely and isolated as Naruto was far easier than it should have been. But of course there were last minute protests:

"But- but," Naruto stammered, unsure of something so different, "where would we go! What would we even do-?"

"It doesn't matter," Naruto could feel the conviction in his words and was stunned. "We'll figure it out," Sasuke continued intently, "we can do whatever we want. Go wherever we want. Just the two of us."

_I'm sorry I killed you. I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me?_

Naruto lip wavered, "But…why are you talking like this to me? Why are you talk to me?"

Naruto's eyes were desperate for an answer- he needed confirmation. Part of him was still so scared that this was all some elaborate joke.

Sasuke paused and looked down for a moment. He looked up at Naruto through his bangs and said the only thing he learned that he wasn't afraid of.

"…Because we're best friends, aren't we, Naruto?"

_I won't kill you. I promise._

The reaction was dramatic. Naruto physically staggered back and his face was set in complete shock. Sasuke could see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

Naruto turned away quickly, his eyes still wide with disbelief.

_A best friend._

The concept was new for both of them.

That night Sasuke led Naruto to the front entrance gates of Konoha. They brought what they wanted to travel with and Sasuke wasn't surprised that Naruto had so little. Sasuke brought extra clothes and what little money he found in his old house. He was sure that the ANBU knew they were leaving but they hadn't been stopped once. He even had the sneaking suspicion that Konoha wanted them gone.

It didn't matter.

Sasuke didn't know if fate was inevitable, he didn't know if this would change the 'future' he saw bits and pieces of, he didn't understand most of what he knew. But it didn't matter. Sasuke looked to Naruto who was looking back at Konoha. There was a pause and the Naruto looked back at Sasuke with a bright grin.

"Let's go," he said.

Sasuke had never heard words so beautiful. He looked at his friend and turned to walk on down the path and into a world he knew nothing about except Oto was cold in winter and Rock country had good tomatoes.

Sasuke wondered if destiny was real. He wondered if anything was really set in stone or if it was just flying on a breeze. Was it even possible for it to be both? Would leaving and running from a fate neither of them wanted really be for the best in the end?

The greater good. Was there such a thing in the first place? Did that even matter? What truly mattered anymore?

Sasuke looked back at Naruto who trotted up next to him until they walked in step. Naruto was deep in thought but Sasuke saw him and he looked...

_Happy?_

Could two people as fucked up as they both were...could they really be happy? All of the people who were after them for whatever reasons they had, all of the forces that were separating and throwing them back together, all of the betrayals and reasons and conceded emotions that made them hate each other-

And yet; here they were.

Sasuke felt his small smile turn into a small smirk as he turned his attention to the path ahead.

_Let them try and stop us._


	2. chapter deux

Chapter two- thank you all so much for the support from both alerts and favorites- I'm glad that you like it. And not to mention the tremendously wonderful reviews! I appreciate your input so thank you so much for taking the time-

* * *

"When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody who's strong and wrong rather than weak and right."

-Bill Clinton

* * *

Naruto hadn't been sure what talking to Sasuke would do but never in his wildest dreams did he think this would be the outcome.

_This... _Naruto thought wonderingly as he walked through the forest, 'This' was great.

He was so happy, and admittedly confused, but he just couldn't stop smiling.

Yes, there were many serious things to consider and Naruto did think about them. He had to think about the drastic turns his life had taken- how intimidating it was to change everything he knew and start over. He had to think about food, because he thought about it often- would there be enough? Would they die out here in the cold? They were both small boys and the only shelter for miles were the towering trees that neither of them could climb. What about water? Where were they going and what were they going to do once they got there?

Naruto had never really thought about the future in Konoha because he already knew it; he was going to stay in Konoha. He was going to become Hokage and prove them all that he wasn't garbage. And that was his plan. Every day he for pursued that plan and in the mean time he'd worry about living and eating but now everything was up in the air again. He had no plan.

_Food, water, shelter, goal-_

Naruto tried to work out all of these problems in his head but every time his face creased in thought, a smile would creep back into place and before he knew it he was beaming again.

He couldn't remember the last time that had happened. Had it ever happened? No, Naruto didn't think so. He had never thought that something so wonderful could ever happen to him. _Him, _Naruto!

Another smile lit up his face. Things were looking up and Naruto felt like he was soaring in the sky; like he was as light and carefree as those rolling white clouds in that impossibly blue horizon. It made Naruto want to cry because it was like he was seeing it all for the first time. Vivid blues and greens and rich browns and sharp blacks and grays and cheery yellows with soft pinks and reds-

When did the world get so beautiful? How had he missed all of _this_?

It was like he'd never seen colors before and he knew that was a lie because Konoha had colors everywhere. People loved to wear them and fruits were all sorts of colors and wrappers and garbage were a variety colors and Naruto had seen green all his life with all the trees everywhere but...

Somehow this was so different.

_'This'..._

Another smile to shame the sun.

Naruto supposed that colors were only so wonderful when you had someone to share them with. Someone who cared that you saw them. Someone who cared about _you._..

_I have a friend..._

Very suddenly Naruto felt like crying again but he held back and turned his head so Sasuke wouldn't see. He wasn't a baby and he wouldn't cry now. He had no reason to cry anymore- someone cared about him. It was all so amazing to Naruto and he couldn't help a small sniffle before he controlled himself again.

Never in Naruto's most desperate wishes did he actually think he could make a friend. Why had it been so easy? What had he done differently compared to all of those other times? Naruto wasn't sure.

He supposed that it just might have been luck.

People had always hated him ever since he could remember and Naruto knew it was something he'd done. No matter how he tried to show kindness to others, for that's how you made friends he had heard, it never worked. He always messed up again some how and he could never atone for his mistakes. He was a mistake.

He had heard it so many times he didn't doubt it anymore.

But Sasuke; he had never shown much interest in being friends before. He showed little signs, nonchalantly being nice-talking to Naruto- giving him part of his bento before he noticed what he was doing. Once Sasuke realized, he'd quickly leave or deny the whole happening by being very rude.

Naruto thought it was silly that Sasuke was afraid of friends; it was the only thing that Naruto really wanted.

And one thing marked Sasuke as different in comparison to the other children:

Sasuke never told Naruto to go away.

The surly boy would ignore him, glare, make mean comments, be rude, or he himself would walk away. He would _ask _Naruto, 'why are _you_ still here' when he had been clearly ignoring Naruto, but never could Naruto remember Sasuke literally telling Naruto to leave...

That somehow made all the difference.

It was like Sasuke _did _want a friend but he was too proud to admit it. As if he wanted Naruto to chase him- to prove that Naruto would still be around even if he was cruel. Even if he said he didn't want anyone around and that he liked being alone, Naruto knew differently.

No one liked being alone.

There was something about Sasuke's eyes.. They were lonely eyes. And they were sad eyes. They were eyes like Naruto's and seeing something so familiar in another naturally draws you to them. Naruto thought that maybe, just maybe, he and Sasuke had more in common than either of them really knew.

So he decided to keep at it. Days and days, maybe weeks; Naruto wasn't sure when there was no real way to keep track of time.

And then Naruto didn't see Sasuke around the lake for a while. Apparently something terrible had happened.

Naruto had been trying to salvage what he could from the trash behind a takoyaki stand and he heard some ladies talking about Sasuke. He stopped for a moment when he heard the name, almost forgetting the thumb-sized chuck of grilled octopus he had seen.

Sasuke's older brother had killed all of Sasuke's family, besides him, and did something to Sasuke to make him watch it all. Naruto wasn't quite sure what that meant but it had something to do with ninjas and Naruto had heard that ninjas could do amazing things so he supposed it wasn't too extraordinary. But from the scandalized tones, Naruto could tell it was horrible.

Naruto listened to what he could before the stand owner saw him and chased him away with a broom;

'The dear should be in the hospital, but he's so confused and terrified, I heard he's run away from them _twice_-'

'Oh, the poor boy-'

'Have they talked about adoption yet? Where's the little one to go? They're not just going to throw him out on the street are they?'-

A small part of Naruto hoped that they would; maybe then he would have a then he felt bad about that the second after he thought it and he took it back. It was really cold and wet out at night this time of the year.

Naruto heard whispers all over Konoha about Sasuke. Everywhere he went that's what all of the adults were talking about.

'I don't think he'll be adopted at all; His brother is still on the loose and no one wants that kind of liability in their home-'

'But he's just a baby, Ginta!'

'Yeah, and his brother kept him alive for a reason no doubt. Sooner or later he'll come back and finish the job, I'm tellin' ya-'

'Did you hear about the Uchihas?'

'Yeah, all dead. Crazy, huh?'

'Not one of the kids- he's still alive, though, right?'

'Yeah, Itachi's little brother. I have no idea what happened-'

'They're trying to figure out what to do with him but no one's gonna take him.'

'Well, no one said the Uchihas were popular, the snobs. But 'how the mighty have fallen', right?'

'Right-'

'What the hell's going on anymore? I mean, that Itachi kid was bound to snap with all the pressure the Uchihas dish out, but jeez-'

'Sasuke's his name, right? Damn. What's the Hokage planning, tha's what I wanna know. He's got the same blood as his brother, am I right? Who's to say he's not gonna freak out the same way? He better not be allowed to become a ninja. Tha's just askin' for trouble. And like we need another killer psycho around this village-'

Naruto really wasn't sure what to make of what was being said. But it sounded like it was unpleasant. Naruto had never really had a family so he figured that having one and then losing them would be pretty terrible.

Naruto thought about this as he walked by the lake, out of habit, and there was Sasuke huddled against the tree.

For all of the adults talking about Sasuke they sure knew nothing about him. They would have looked by the lake if they did because Sasuke was always there. Or maybe even thought they all wanted to talk about him none of them actually wanted _to _talk to him.

Empty words and promises that didn't mean anything and pity no one would want.

Naruto squinted in the distance to get a better look at the Sasuke; he looked so small against that tree.

Naruto knew nothing of pity but he did feel bad that Sasuke was feeling bad. He saw mothers interacting with their children at parks sometimes and how when they cried you were supposed to go and talk to them to try and make them feel better. Some of the adults who weren't demanding Sasuke's exile would coo about how he needed help and how _someone _should go and do it, the poor thing-

But Naruto was worried; he had never done anything like this before and speaking to others always made them hate him. Sasuke didn't hate Naruto and Naruto didn't want to ruin that but...Sasuke was shaking.

Naruto took a deep breath and walked over to where Sasuke sat curled against the tree and stopped right in front of him. And paused.

_What now? What now?_

Naruto gripped the sides of his thinly worn shorts and bit his lip. What did he say now? He remembered those mothers. What was it that they did again?

"Uh, Sasuke?"

Naruto saw Sasuke freeze up and Naruto thought for the thousandth time that this was a bad idea. He didn't know what to say around people- he never had. What gave him the idea that he should be the one to help Sasuke?

Oh.

Because he was the only one there. And Sasuke needed him.

"Uh…" Naruto averted his eyes and shifted a bit to release his tension. He tried to think of what to say next. Parents who attended to hurt children at the park always rushed up to them as asked what was wrong. But Naruto already knew what was wrong- he'd heard about it so what did he do now? He took another breath, he really wished that this came more naturally to him.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and then looked into Sasuke's wide eyes and said bluntly, "I'm sorry your brother killed your family."

There. If he already knew the issue, the best thing was to address it, right? He waited to hear Sasuke's reply.

Sasuke looked deeply into Naruto's eyes and Naruto felt a little uncomfortable but at the same time he felt alright. He didn't know why Sasuke was looking at him like that but he knew Sasuke was upset so reacting unusually was kind of expected, right?

Naruto was playing this by ear, after all.

And then Sasuke said in a quiet voice, "me too..."

And then there was silence and that comforted Naruto in a way because it meant he wasn't really expected to say anything. He figured that it was time to leave and he was about to go when Sasuke said the most unusual thing-

Naruto, come with me.

And he did.

And he was here.

With Sasuke and himself and he was _happy. _This was the best moment of his life and he was hungry and cold and exhausted but those things didn't matter now that he had someone to be with. Someone who wanted him here-someone who cared if he was alive-

_Filthy monster! You should have never been born!_

_What a wretched thing. You stay away from my shop or you'll get more than the broom! _

_Hey guys, you wanna try to drown it? It healed those cuts, but you think drowning would work?_

_Beast! Filthy beast!_

_'It hurts'? Did you stop when you hurt _my _child? My brother? Our fucking dog? NO! This is your price for being alive! If it hurts you so bad then why don't you just die?  
_

_I wonder if it bleeds like a human. Let's see. Hey, demon boy, come here. You want some food?_

_If I gave you food, I'd be giving food to a demon. I'd rather starve than help a monster like you-_

Naruto didn't have any idea why Sasuke had called him his best friend. But that word,Sasuke had said it and meant it and Naruto didn't even know what to do; what to _say_.

What do you say when you finally get the one thing you've always wanted?

As it turns out, you say nothing and let it happen.

Naruto looked over to Sasuke as they walked through the woods in the darkness towards...somewhere.

Sasuke looked back at him and Naruto smiled again. And again. And again.

Sasuke smiled too.

Oh, when did the world get so beautiful?

...

* * *

...

Sasuke shivered involuntarily. He quickly masked his face back into a neutral expression, hoping Naruto hadn't noticed. He found himself trying to impress Naruto- he wanted to inspire confidence in his traveling companion, seeing as how it was his idea to leave; that made him responsible for their well being.

_Please don't regret coming with me. We can do this, somehow, I promise you._

But the thought, while backed with determination on Sasuke's part, felt a little hollow. How in the name of anything was he supposed to do this? Sasuke hadn't planned well at all. They were two small children, all alone- little food, barely any water, a few extra pairs of summer clothing that did nothing to protect them during the night.

Sasuke bit back a suffering moan; why couldn't he have waited a day? Two, even. Then he could have gathered supplies- he could have thought this little adventure through a bit better. a seven year old doesn't think in extreme detail, and Sasuke was smart for his age, but his mother had always taken care of those types of things for him. And Naruto never had a mother or possessions, so what would he know about preparations either?

Sasuke glanced at Naruto who was walking next to him. Their shared silence had been comforting but it also fed Sasuke's multitude of delusions that he had made a mistake.

Had it always been this cold out this late at night? Sasuke didn't bring a watch so he had no idea what the time was but they'd been walking in the woods for hours, he knew that much. Had Naruto slept outside in this weather every night? Sasuke examined him closely through a sidelong glance and while Naruto was shivering, he didn't appear to notice. He just walked on with a small, yet bright smile looking at everything and anything he wanted to.

He looked like freedom.

Sasuke suddenly felt a lot more certain that this was the right thing to be doing.

He looked away again. _Alright,_ Sasuke thought, _What is the plan? _

_Food, water, shelter, goal-_

They had enough food in Sasuke's backpack to last maybe three days. They had two bottles of water and that would last...Sasuke wasn't sure. He could split food into meals and calculate how long that would last but he wasn't sure how much he drank in a day. He never really thought about it but one bottle per person seemed a good thing when he was packing.

They didn't have any real shelter like a house to sleep in when they got tired but Sasuke had heard of camping and that was like sleeping outside, right? People did that so could they- for now until something better came up. His family never went camping because...Sasuke wasn't sure. It could have been that they were so busy and too important to do such things, because Sasuke couldn't remember any sort of family outing that didn't involve ninja training-_  
_

_No, focus-_

Their clothing was not adequate. They needed to buy cloaks when they got to another town- somewhere, where were they?- and they needed to find a way of making more money to buy more food and you could get water from rivers and stuff but what about shelter in the winter- Oh god, why was this so complicated? How were they supposed to survive like this? _  
_

_Don't whine. Naruto has been living with less for years now. You owe him- you're job is to make things easier... _

Sasuke convinced himself that this wasn't running away from his fears and taking Naruto with him; this was giving Naruto a chance at a happiness he would never have in a wretched place like Konoha.

The goal was the same; make Naruto happy by whatever means necessary. They would not die here in this forest. Sasuke was a little uncertain as to how things would work out, but damnit, they would _work out_. He had a purpose now. Maybe he was selfish, but Sasuke would do anything for Naruto and that gave his life some sort of meaning again-

_'Cling to life, little brother'_

_Fine, I will. _

And he would do right by Naruto and he would always be there for him because something about Naruto made Sasuke so at peace and happy and content. There was some sort of energy and an understanding between them that Sasuke had never had with another human being. A connection that even he and Itachi had lacked.

_Why didn't I see this before?_

But Sasuke _had _seen it before. He was naturally a loner and found other children to be, frankly, _stupid- _but Naruto was different. He was so unassuming and he could care less about Uchihas. He just...liked sasuke.

Sasuke didn't understand it, he still didn't, really. But what he did understand was that the boy wouldn't leave like the others did. His cold personality did nothing to deter Naruto's various attempts at 'hanging out' when Sasuke wanted to be alone in his thoughts. It was irritating and it got under his skin like those other kids never could.

And it was kinda nice...every once and while...

But Sasuke's pride would never allow for attachments like that. Uchihas were great and powerful and they didn't need to rely on anyone other than the family- you couldn't trust anyone who you didn't share blood with.

Sasuke thought of those battles he 'saw'. He felt. He remembered all of that blood splashed all over their battleground, on his hands and matted in his hair.

_I suppose that's sharing blood enough..._

Sasuke would never have admitted needing Naruto. If things went on like they had, he would have ignored him all together and hoped that that feeling in his chest would subside. But after seeing the end;that terrible future Sasuke would die to prevent, denying something like his friendship to Naruto seemed trivial. And now that he had admitted it there was no going back. Sasuke never did anything unless if was all the way and he intended to be Naruto's best friend if it killed him._  
_

_You know, it just might-_

"Hey, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked out of his thoughts and glanced over at Naruto who was looking right at him. It had taken Naruto a while for the shock of things to die down, but now he seemed a lot more comfortable with Sasuke. A confidence glowing with warm sunshine and Sasuke felt lightened at hearing it.

"Yeah?"

"So where should we go?"

"I don't know," Sasuke said lightly, "where do you want to go?"

"Hmmmm," Naruto said pursing his lips, "I don't really know anywhere to go. I've never really thought about it before..."

Sasuke cursed the fact that he didn't bring a map. When he was packing he hadn't really considered it, his mind buzzing faintly with the kinda-knowledge of where things were. He never considered the fact that Naruto wouldn't know where anywhere was.

Sasuke snorted at his oversight; of course Naruto wouldn't. No one had bothered to show Naruto the least bit of care, let alone teach him anything academic. He had come to the ninja academy unable to read- why on earth would he know _geography_?

It was easy for the village people to call Naruto stupid and remedial but Sasuke knew that if anyone had invested some time in the kid, he would have out-shined them all. Naruto was intelligent; he just needed someone to show him A,B,C and he'd get to Z so fast it would make your head spin.

"Well, we'll find a town and then we'll get a map. Then we'll decide where to go- there are lots of places to go. And..." Sasuke thought about it, " we have our lives to go wherever we want. There's no rush, really."

"That sounds great," Naruto breathed to himself but Sasuke had heard. A gust of wind rustled the leaves over head and the boys shivered as it passed over them. Naruto let out a yawn amidst the shaking and felt a bit better. But Sasuke frowned. They were both tired.

"Let's find a place to sleep," he suggested. "When we wake up we can have breakfast and move ahead."

Naruto smiled a toothy grin and nodded and Sasuke felt warmer despite the chill. They walked awhile further until they found a tree with low, thick branches near the base of the trunk that blocked most of the wind when you slept under them. Sasuke briefly thought of making a fire with his new jutsu he had learned, but he reconsidered at the last minute. For some reason the prospect of using it made him sick.

Another day then. They could live like this for now. Sasuke pulled out his other shirts and gave one to Naruto who looked at it with a bit of confusion.

"Use it as a blanket. And use the backpack as a pillow."

"Ohhh..."

What luxury.

There was a silence as they both squirmed to get comfortable, lying right next to each other. Sasuke heard Naruto's teeth chatter and he knew the thin shirt wasn't doing much of anything for either of them. He felt a little weird, but Sasuke made up his mind and lightly pressed his back against Naruto's and felt the boy still a moment. Sasuke hated physical contact like this and he knew Naruto wasn't used to it. He could practically hear Naruto's thoughts:

_When was the last time anyone has been this close to me and wasn't trying to hurt me?_

Sasuke thought of the piggy backs Itachi used to give him. He thought of his dead parents. He thought of Itachi's hand around his throat.

He thought of Naruto's back pressed against his, breathing with him and as Sasuke looked up through the canopy of leaves he could see the most beautiful stars. Like small blue diamonds hanging in an endless sky.

"Hey look, Sasuke," Naruto whispered excitedly, "those ones are falling!"

Sasuke watched as maybe a dozen stars fell lazily from the night sky and vanished before they hit the horizon.

"You have to make a wish," Sasuke whispered back, still craning his neck around to look up.

"Why?"

"I don't know. You just do- that's what you do with falling stars."

There was a pause. "Why do they fall?"

"I don't know," Sasuke's tone turned a bit impatient, "they just do sometimes."

"Alright," Naruto whispered in fierce determination, "I wish that we're always friends."

Sasuke stilled for a moment and his face got a little hot, "Y-you don't tell me your wish, stupid! You keep it in your head!"

"Oh, I didn't know that. Why do you do that?"

" I don't know!" Sasuke said, still a bit flustered. Knowing that he was Naruto's friend was something he knew to his bones but having Naruto say it like that made Sasuke inexplicably happy. Too happy to properly react.

_We're both two misfits thrown together because there's no where else to put us._

Konoha was in the past now. Naruto would have been the best thing to happen to them and they threw him away. Those fools had no idea what they had done.

_Their mistake. They don't deserve him._

A dark thought tickled his mind; _and you do?_

Sasuke wanted to deny it, but there was so much to the contrary. He _didn't_ deserve someone like Naruto and he knew it.

..._But I will. I will do whatever he needs to make him happy._

_-YOU cannot make him happy being the selfish fool that you are. _

And once again, Sasuke's inner antagonist had a point. How could Sasuke make someone as good as Naruto happy alone? In his 'memories' Naruto had a whole village of people to love him and here Sasuke was by himself trying to equal that out. But his friendship with Naruto meant so much more than those shallow attachments, didn't it? He was in the right! He was! He would protect Naruto from anyone who tried to hurt him- he would kill them-

_Ah, but what if it's you who hurts him? _

Sasuke inhaled sharply.

_What if it's you who kills him?_

His mind swam with visions of katanas covered to the hilt in blood, eyes like blue diamonds fading away and leaving nothing but broken dreams and promises that didn't mean anything.

_What if it's you who kill him _again_? How can you stop what is inevitable?  
_

Sasuke started shaking again and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"Hey, Sasuke, you ok? Do you need the shirt?"

Oh god, what was he going to do? He didn't want anything to happen to Naruto- his only friend- his only person he cared about. The only thing on this forsaken world to care about and he was going to kill him. He'd do it and he wouldn't be able to take it back. His breathing became ragged and he tried to tone it down but Naruto leaned up on his elbow and bent around to look at him with concern.

"You ok?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine, don't worry." Naruto looked worried but laid back down, scooting his back closer to Sasuke's. There was a pause and Naruto breathed out slowly.

"Night, Sasuke," he said, like he'd been waiting to say that to someone for years.

"Good night Naruto." And Sasuke was a little surprised to find that he had been waiting to say that for a long time too. He regulated his breathing once more. _Focus._

_I need to keep him safe. But how will I do that by myself when I could be the problem?_

Sasuke wracked his brain thinking of solutions. he needed someone to help them- to be able to keep Sasuke in check but they were NOT going back to Konoha. Ever. The plan had not changed- Sasuke just needed to add to it. Where could Sasuke find someone that he and Naruto could trust?

He stopped. He felt his sharingan activate and he saw memories that he never had. He saw his solution.

Sasuke blinked and the his red eyes turned back to black and he tried to re-orient himself.

He cleared his throat, "Naruto?" he asked quietly, not wanting to wake him if he was already asleep.

"Yeah?" the voice drifted back to him.

"I know where we should go first," Sasuke whispered hoarsely, "we need to go get someone."

"Who?" Naruto asked quickly. Sasuke couldn't tell if it was excitement or trepidation. It probably was a bit of both.

"There's someone who needs our help. They need a friend too." Sasuke paused feeling that familiar pang of jealousy he always felt in regards to Naruto, "Do you want another friend?"

Naruto didn't reply right away. He cleared his throat, "Two friends..." And then he let out a small, unbelieving chuckle of laughter and then it broke into a full out laugh. Sasuke waited there, biting his lip as Naruto rode the laugh to it's completion. Sasuke heard a hiccup and heard a loud sniffle, "It's been a funny today," he said, his voice a bit watery and cracking.

Sasuke still waited for his answer.

"I've always wanted friends..." he said quietly, "I've always wanted you to be my friend and now you're my friend and now you say we can get another friend...I don't know what to say..."

Sasuke knew his answer. This was for Naruto and this was for the best.

"Don't say anything. We'll leave tomorrow."

They shared a heavy silence, not conducive for trying to sleep at all.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said wonderingly.

"Yeah?" Sasuke's voice was tight with emotion. He didn't want to loose his friend to another, but for all of Sasuke's selfishness he realized that this was what must be done.

_He won't forget you. Probably-_

"Where is this person?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "To the east, kind of far, I think. I've never been there. We'll stop at a town and get a map."

"Oh," said Naruto, "Do you know what it's called?"

"Yeah," Sasuke considered for a moment, his brain filling in the gaps of information he didn't fully understand.

"...Suna."

* * *

Another chapter! This was mostly a filler chapter but things are moving, I swear it! I hoped you liked it~ Thanks again everyone for reading and I hope to be more prompt in the future. :)

As always- tell me what you think- I appreciate it, yo. Thanks!

-LF


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